Ex-Marine hopes to start PGA training later this year

A former Royal Marine commando who lost a leg serving in Afghanistan seven years ago is making great progress towards achieving his ambition to become a golf professional.

Aaron Moon, 29, who works in the shop at his home town club Bolton, where he hopes to train as a PGA assistant, has already rubbed shoulders with some of the great and good of the game.

Last week he played with fellow Lancastrian Tommy Fleetwood in the Scottish Open pro-am at Castle Stewart, met Donald Trump at Turnberry, and on Friday travels to Royal Troon for the Open Championship where he will be interviewed by Butch Harmon and Nick Dougherty on Sky Sports.

Moon recalled the day he suffered catastrophic injuries in Afghanistan.

"I was in a vehicle which was blown up and lost my right leg below the knee and dislocated my left one. I also broke my femur, back and pelvis," he said.

"I used to play rugby with the Marines until the injury so I went back to golf where I'd learned to play as a youngster at Bolton Old Links."

His determination to qualify as a professional is being helped by Welshman David Llewellyn, a former European Tour player, who is a coach for the On Course Foundation charity which supports the recovery of wounded, injured and sick Service personnel and veterans through golf.

"I've had several lessons with him and he's a phenomenal coach," said Moon, an ambassador for the foundation which Sky TV contacted prior to inviting him to Royal Troon.

Meanwhile, he's hoping to start PGA training later this year under the tutelage of Ian Orrell, his boss at Bolton Golf Cub.

"I want to do it as an able-bodied person and not a disabled one. And I eventually plan to coach disabled people and become the first amputee professional golfer in the UK," he added.